Tag Archives: Councillor Mary Howard

THE lives of two of Ennis’ best known figures are to be remembered in the county capital this Wednesday evening, June 23. A memorial plaque will be unveiled at 6.30pm at the Queen’s Hotel dedicated to the late Laura Brennan. While at 7.15pm, the late Michael Tierney and his dog Paddy will be remembered opposite Ennis Cathedral with a plaque dedicated in their memory. Unveiling the plaques will be Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor Mary Howard in one of her last functions in the role. “For many years I have tried to have something permanent in the town of Ennis to remember the larger than life character that was the late Michael Tierney. Last June when I became Mayor of Clare I promised that both Michael and Laura Brennan would have a permanent presence in the town, my term is finished on Friday,” she said. All are welcome to attend, with plans underway for an event to be held …

CLARE was showcased to the nation on Wednesday when RTÉ’s popular daytime Today show broadcast live from Ennis with host Dáithí Ó Sé. The production team based themselves in the Old Ground Hotel during filming, travelling to the four corners to highlight the best of the Banner. Speaking to The Clare Champion, Dáithí revealed that he has a soft spot for the county. “We come to Clare a lot, last Sunday we took a spin back to Spanish Point, it’s beautiful back there. Rita’s parents both come from there so we are very familiar with West Clare and often come to Ennis shopping. “It’s great to be here and get a feel of the town being back again, there’s a great buzz. “You’re very lucky in Clare. You are on the Wild Atlantic Way, have the Cliff of Moher and the Burren, towns like Ennis, the trad music. There’s a great balance, you get it all here.” While in Clare Dáithí met with …

A LIFE-SAVING dog who helped its owner escape from a devastating fire has been hailed as a ‘Clare Covid Hero’. Former county councillor and well-known Clarecastle man Bernard Hanrahan narrowly escaped with his life after his home was engulfed in flames late last year. Bernard, known locally as the Bomber, was saved after being alerted to the blaze at his home in Barntick by his beloved dog Daisy’s incessant barking in the early hours of the morning. Daisy has now been named among the winners of the Clare Covid Hero award celebrating the county’s everyday heroes who have been supporting others during the pandemic. Luckily nobody was injured in the fire, however the house, which had been in the family for three generations, was extensively damaged and priceless photographs and memorabilia have been lost. The award certificate was presented to Daisy this week by Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Mary Howard, who also had a surprise for Bernard. She was …

By Gordon Deegan A mother of two who was subjected to an alleged serious assault in Ennis last month lost her fight for life in hospital on Wednesday. Wexford native, Sharon Bennett (29) died at University Hospital Limerick in the early hours of Wednesday morning 13 days after she was admitted to the hospital. Ms Bennett was brought to hospital suffering serious head injuries after being allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend, Patrick Ballard (34) in Ennis’ Market area on the evening of Thursday, January 28, last. Reacting to the confirmation of Ms Bennett’s death on Wednesday, the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Mary Howard (FG) said, “It is absolutely heartbreaking to hear that two children will be left without their mother.” The Ennis based councillor stated, “It is so sad that they grow up and their Mammy isn’t there.” Ms Bennett had her two children from a previous relationship and Cllr Howard said, “My thoughts and prayers are with her family …

SIX towns and villages in Clare have been given a funding boost of just under €800,000 to help local communities adapt to life under Covid-19 restrictions. A total of €779,242 has been allocated to the local projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2020. €200,000 has been granted to Obair in Newmarket-On-Fergus to regenerate a derelict building on main street. The project will see the construction of a production kitchen, cooking enterprise hubs, a commercial cookery school, holistic space and office suites and a youth cafe. The project aims to help make Newmarket-On-Fergus to be a more sustainable village in which to live, work and socialise. In Kilfenora €200,000 in funding has been allocated for the development of a Universal Access Centre of Discovery for the Burren told through the five senses – sight, touch, taste, hearing and smell. Universal Access will increase capacity to cater for a wider audience and enhance the overall tourism offering. €90,242 funding has …

ACCUSATIONS of an ambush on Clare’s first citizen, as she chaired the monthly meeting of Clare County Council, were robustly denied by three members who tabled a motion calling for a ban on the use of the title ‘Mayor of Clare’. Councillors Ann Norton, Mark Nestor and Paul Murphy refused a number of requests from fellow councillors to withdrawn their motion. They noted that, under the Local Government legislation, the only mayoral title is that of ‘Mayor of the Ennis Municipal District,’ owing to the population of the area, and that the title for the county council chair is ‘Cathaoirleach’. Their motion asked “that the executive use the correct titles of Cathaoirleach of County Clare and Mayor of Ennis in all correspondence and media releases”. Responding, Councillor Howard, who is the current council chair, said she found it hard not to take the motion personally. She agreed with the assertion of Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy that it represented an ambush. …

THE hardwork and dedication of people who are working to make Ennis look its best has been honoured by the local Tidy Towns group. Ennis Tidy Towns annual Local Awards recently took place, with awards presented to residents for their voluntary efforts in keeping the town tidy. The usual awards night could not be held due to Covid-19, however Tidy Towns committee members visited the award winners to present them with their prizes. Cormac McCarthy, chairman of Ennis Tidy Towns said, “Even though our local awards night could not take place this year, we had the wonderful job to go around to each of our category winners with Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Mary Howard and present them with their awards in the winning gardens, green areas, approach roads and shrines. “In a year that shook us all to the core it was a lovely way to end 2020. A huge congratulations to all our entrants.” Along with the overall …

GRAVEYARDS in two locations in the county have had Garda patrols stepped up in response to a spate of thefts that has been going on since the start of the year, Clare’s Garda chief has said. Addressing last Monday’s meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran urged people to continue to report incidents and pledged that they would be fully investigated. Since January of this year, there has been a hike in incidents of theft and anti-social behaviour at Drumcliffe Cemetery in Ennis. There has also been an ongoing issue at the graveyard in Tulla, with a spate of thefts of grave ornaments and flowers, over the last nine months. The issue at Drumcliffe was raised by the Mayor of Clare, who voiced frustration with the perception that calls were not being logged. “Since January, I’ve been bringing this to the attention of the Gardaí and the local authority,” Councillor Mary Howard said. “I have found …